Cow Foot

In the distant past when sugar was king, the roasting joint, the fillet and other prime cuts of beef went to the Great House. Workers who reared the cattle usually took for themselves the tail, the head, the tripe and the feet of the cow. What the workers got was called the "fifth quarter". The "fifth quarter" cuts required long, slow cooking but even now workers' preference is for the fifth quarter. In Jamaica, most people cook cow foot but they make calves feet jelly, or cow heel stew. Our men think any gooey food like this is good for them. Cow foot is savoury and calves feet jelly is sweet. Some persons cook enough cow foot to use some in a stew and use the balance to make the jelly. In the days of shutpans, I understand higglers used to treat caves feet jelly as a street food, and deliver it door to door chilled, lemon and strawberry being the two favourite flavours